Cavity-wall hot and cool-air circulation



2.Sheets-Sheet.

J. M. LEIGHTON Filed May '7,

CAVITY WALL HOT AND COOL AIR CIRCULATION March 26, 1929.

March 26, 1929. J. M. I ElGHToN 1,706,893

CAVITY WALL HOT AND COOL AIR CIRCULATION Filed May '7, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 9- till Patented Mar. 26, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN MURRAY LEIGHTON, OF BELFAS'l-l, NORTHERN IRELAND.

CAVITY-WALL HOT AND COOL-AIR CIRCULATION.

Application filed May 7, 1927, Serial No. 189,696, and in Great Britain May 21, 1926.

This invention relates to the ventilation and heating or cooling of buildings with cavity walls b y means of air passed through the cavities of the walls and a separate hollow chimney breast in communication therewith, which chimney breast is associated with means adapted to impart heat to the air when desired.

According to the present invention, the wall cavities and hollow chimney breast as specified are adapted to' constitute the Whole or part of a closed path around which air can be circulated by convection, and to and from which air can be permitted, when desired, to enter and escape. During cold Weather, the heating means associated with the chimney breast is put into action, and the air. within the chimney breast thereby receives heat and is circulated by convection round the said lclosed path, imparting heat, during its circulation, to the cavity walls. During warm weather. the means for permitting the inlet and outlet. of fresh air to and from the said closed path are opened, the heating means associated with the chimney breast being, of

course, put out of action, and the air within the cavity Walls becomes heated andthereby creates a draught which causes the fresh air to be drawn through the wall cavities. Moreover, in cold Weather, the means for permitting the inlet and outlet of fresh air as aforesaid may he kept open occasionally for a short period to allow the replacement )y 'fresh air of the air already used for circulation purvroses. l lommunication between the cavities of the walls and the chimney breast lnay be effected by openings arranged in such a manner that one opening is at the ground level and another at or near the top of the walls, a third openinfv or other openings, communicating with tie open air, being provided in the chimney breast above the roof, and openings being also provided below the ground floor of the building to permit the access of fresh air to the bottom of the chimney breast or cavities. These openings are provided with flaps or equivalent means whereby theyV can be closed at will, such ila )s or equivalent means being manipulated y wires, chains or the like, connected to handles or other con trol means at any convenient part of the building.

In order that the invention may be understood reference will be made to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings of a twothrough the building, showing the fireplaces,

chimney breast and cavity walls.

111g. 2 (the section being taken on the line ila-2% Fig. 1) is a view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating a different air circulation.

-Rcfcrring-to the dra wings The diagrammatic elevation shown in Fig. 1 illustrates a two-storey building with a hollow chimney breast 1 arranged to heat the air in the cavities 2 of the walls 2 in cold weather.

In order to heat the walls of the building 'from the hollow chimney breast l, the fines n and la from the fireplaces 3 and 4 are laid up the inside of the hollow chimney breast as shown clearly at Fig. 2 and the air heated in the chimney breast is passed therefrom into the wall cavities by openings 5 c0ntrolled by hinged flaps (sce Fig. l), 'it being clear Afrom the drawings that the wall cavities 2 extend right up to vthe roof of the building not only at the sides but also at the ends, and consequently the openings 5 :lead from the .interior of the chimney breast l directly into the adj accnt wall cavity 2 (sce sectional plan, Fig. 2). The air passes into the hollow chimney breast by the openings 6 at the bottom of the chimney breast l, mean- While openings 7 and 8 are closed. these openings being used in cooling the cavities in the walls as hereinafter described. The circulation of the heated air from the chimney breast 1 is as indicated by the arrows 9: the air flows first vertically through the hollow chimney breast, and then through the openings 5 into the cavities 2 of the walls 2, the heated air from each of the openings 5 passing half way round the buildino' above the first floor level and beingretainec therein by a baille l() which is continuous round the building except at openings ll, made in the portion ot the baille l0 in the cavity otthe end wall 2 remote from the chimney breast (see Fig. 3), through which openings the 40 v ner walls of the building at a moderate tem- `out of operation, the above described circulation is automatically reversed. Thus, refel-ring to either Fig. 1 or Fig. 1*, it will be seen that, with theI structure shown, when the wall cavities 2 become heated b the sun,

air contained therein. will tend to rise whilst the column of air in the chimney breast 1, being cooler than the thin layer of air in the wall cavities, will be drawn downwards and pass throufvh the openings 6 up into the wall cavities. A he air, on reaching the top of the said cavities will pass through the openings v5 and again be drawn Adownwards through the chimney breast 1.

In Fig. 1*, I have illustrated an air circulation whereby the building can be cooled. In this further'circulation, theopenings 6 are closed and the openings 7, 8 and 5 are opened. The opening 8 permits of heated air passing out to atmosphere-and the opening 7 permits inlet of air from the atmos phere to the cavities 2'L in the walls. The circulation of the air shown by arrows 9 will then be from the inlet 7 round the ground floor cavities to the openings 11, then round the upper floor cavities to the openings 5 and into the hollow chimney breast 1, and thence through the opening 8 to the atmosphere. This will cause a continuous circulation of fresh air throu h the wall cavities and will draw off heat fue to direct rays of the sun strikiniii the Walls, thereby keeping the in# perature.

In an electrically heated house a radiator placed within an air ilue equivalent to the airspace in the hollow chimney breast may be used to set up the convection currents in the air in the wall cavities. i

The circulation of the air in the chimney breast and cavities is automatic, provided the valves be suitabl regulated, the heated air whether in the c imne breast or wall cavities tending to rise an draw in coolair. l

Where the general construction lends itself to the purpose, the air, in passing from the chimney breast 1 to the Wall cavities 2* or from the cavities2to the chimney breast 1, may flow through the space 12 between the roof and ceilings of the upper floor. Likewise, if it is suitable, an air space 13 may be provided4 underneath the ground floors, the said space communicating with the cavities 2 by means of openings 15 and with the chimney breast 1 by means of Hap-controlled o enings 6. The said o enings 6'l are pro vided in addition to the 3gp-controlled open- -to bottom o ings 6, but, by means of the controlling flaps thereof, the openings 6 can be closed when the openings 6 are opened and likewise when the openings 6 are opened the openings 6 can be closed.

The action of the column of heated air within the chimney breast 1 may also be utilized to assist in Ventilating the rooms of the building by means of suitable non-return ventilators (not shown) arranged to pass the vi'tiated air from the rooms into the air space in the chimne breast 1 from which it will be discharged t irough the opening 8 above the roof.

The air spaces within the chimney breast 1 may, as shown at Fig. 2*, be divided into two or more compartments by vertical webs 13, and one compartment may be used for ventilation, another for warming or cooling the air space in the walls, roofs and under floors, and a third or others for delivering warmed air into the rooms. Any of these actions may be set into operation'by the opening or closing of the appropriate flaps or shutters in the compartments.

1. In buildings, the combination of hollow walls having cavities which extend from top to bottom of the walls, heating means, a hollow chimney breast surrounding said means and extending from top to bottom of the building, means whereby the upper part of said chimney breast communicates with the top of said cavities, means whereby said cavities communicate at` the bottom thereof with the bottom of said chimney breast, means whereby the chimney breast and wall cavities at the bottom thereof can be placed in communication with the atmosphere, and means whereby communication can be established between the atmosphere and the top of the chimney breast.

2. In buildings, the combination of hollow Walls havin cavities which extend from to the walls, heating means, a lio low chimney breast surrounding said means and extending from top to bottom of the building, means whereby the upper part of said chimney breast communicates with the top of said cavities, a chamber constituted be ow the ground floor of the building, means whereby said chamber communicates with the bottom of the wall cavities and chimney breast, means whereby the wall cavities communicate with rooms in said building, and means whereby said rooms can be communication with said chimney reast.

3. In buildings, thecombination of hollow walls having cavities which extend from to to bottom o the walls, heatingmeans, a ho low chimney breast surrounding said means and extending from top to bottom of the building, means wherebyI the upper part of said chimney breast communicates with the top of said cavities, a chamber constituted laced in p below the ground floor of the building, means whereby said chamber communicates with the bottom of the wall cavities and chimney breast, means whereby the wall cavities communicate with rooms in said building, means whereby said rooms can 4be placed in communication with said chimney breast, means whereby the said chamber can be placed in communication with the atmosphere. and means whereby communication can be established between the atmosphere and the top of the chimney breast.

4. In buildings, the combination of hollow walls having cavities which extend from top to bottom of the walls, fireplaces, lues communicating with said iireplaces, a hollow chimney breast surrounding said fines and extending from top to bottom of the building, webs dividing; the space between said fines and chimney breast into compartments con'- tinuous in the vertical direction, means whereby the upper part of said chimney breast communicates with the top of said cavities, a chamber constituted below the ground Hoor ot the building, and means whereby said chamber communicates with thebottom of the wall cavities and chimney breast.

5. ln buildings, the combination of hollow walls having cavities which extend from top to bottom of the wall, heating means, a hollow chimney breast surroundintg` said means and extending -tromto to bottom of the building, fia i valves where y the upper part of said chimney breast communicates with the top of said cavities, a chamber constituted below the ground floor of the building and communicating with the bottom of the wall cavities, lap valves whereby said chamber can communicate with the bottom of the chimney breast, flap valves whereby said chamber can be placed in communication with the atmosphere, and flap valves whereby communica tion can be established between the atmosphere and the top of the chimney breast.

G. In buildings, the combination of hollow walls having cavities which extend from top to bottom of the walls, heating means, a hollow chimney breast surrounding said means and extending from top to bottom of the building, baiiies arranged in said wall cavim ties, flap valves whereby the upper part ot said chimney breast communicates with the to of said cavities, a chamber constituted be ow the ground floor of the building and communicating with the bottom of the wall cavities, lap valves whereby said chamber can communicate with the bottom of the iol chimney breast, means whereby the wall cavities communicate with rooms in said building, tia valves whereby said rooms can be laced in communication with said chimney reast, fiap valves whereby said chamber can be placed in communication with the atmosphere, and tiap valves whereby communication can be established between theatmospliere and the top of the chimney breast.

ln testimony whereof I atiix my signature.

JHN MURRAY LEIGHTON. 

